An introduction to the practice of Christian meditation, this book offers a twelve step programme in learning meditative prayer.

Many thousands of people across the world have found their spiritual lives enriches by the daily practice of Christian meditation, the method of silent prayer taught by Benedictine monk John Main. It is a tradition which draws on the ancient wisdom of the Bible, the Hindu Upanishads and the early Christian Desert Fathers.John Main wrote several books on contemplative prayer before he died in 1982, but this collection is the only one to draw the essence of all his teachings into one volume. Paul Harris has devotedly selected the essential extracts from each of John Main's works and arranged them here in an attractive and practical daily readings format.>

A collection of short quotes, which are intended as springboards for contemplation, are drawn from his talks, letters, journals and other unpublished sources. They are gathered around a number of themes relating to the practice of Christian meditation including: Peace, Purity of heart, Contacting the centre, Truth, Expectations, Distractions, Union with God, and Hope. As well as being a rich spiritual treasury for meditation, this is a resource for anyone looking for profound and beautiful spiritual quotations.

A personal and cultural exploration of silence and its value in our lives—“[an] artful book, mixing autobiography, travel writing, meditation, and essay” (Independent, UK). In her late forties, after a noisy upbringing as one of six children and adulthood as a vocal feminist and mother, Sara Maitland found herself living alone in the country and, to her surprise, falling in love with silence. In this fascinating, intelligent, and beautifully written book, Maitland describes how she began to explore this new love, spending periods of silence in the Sinai desert, the Scottish hills, and a remote cottage on the Isle of Skye. Maitland also delves deep into the rich cultural history of silence, exploring its significance in fairy tale and myth, its importance to the Western and Eastern religious traditions, and its use in psychoanalysis and artistic expression. Her story culminates in her building a hermitage on an isolated moor in Galloway. “Her book is probably unique in its subject, and timely, because good, healing silence is becoming hard to find, and we may not know we need it” (Guardian, UK).

Can't sleep because your thoughts won't switch off? Ever walked into a room to get something, only to realise you've forgotten what you were looking for? Does a constant stream of unnecessary chatter run through your head? Do you wish you could stop that mental noise whenever you wanted to? Australian bestseller SILENCE YOUR MIND offers a completely new approach to meditation - the experience of mental silence - that will help recharge your mental batteries and leave you feeling more positive, dynamic and wholly engaged with the world. It clearly explains how just 10 to 15 minutes of simple meditation practice each day can turn off that unnecessary mental chatter, thereby awakening your hidden abilities in work, sport, studies and creative pursuits. Scientifically based, this is fundamentally different from any meditation book you may have read before. Australian Dr Ramesh Manocha is leading the world in research into the positive impacts of the mental silence experience. His findings show that authentic meditation is easy, enjoyable, health-giving and life-changing. SILENCE YOUR MIND has sold over 10 000 copies in Australia. Royalties from its sale are directed to further research and educational activities in the field of meditation.

The Brightest Lights of the Christian Tradition St. Augustine, Thomas Merton, Fredrick Buechner, Evelyn Underhill, A.W. Tozer, G.K. Chesterton, Thomas More, Martin Luther King, Jr., Amy Carmichael, Simone Weil, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Hildegard of Bingen, John Milton, Dorothy Day, Leo Tolstoy, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and more. . . From nearly two thousand years of Christian writing comes Spiritual Classcs,fifty–two selections complete with a profile of each author, guided meditations for group and individual use, and reflections containing questions and exercises. Editors Richard Foster and Emilie Griffith offer their expertise by selecting inspirational writings and including their own commentary and recommendations for further guided reading and exploration.

Originating from weekly talks given to a contemplative community of monks and nuns, the meditations in this book aim to help people surrender their lives to God.